The Road to Freedom
by Aviala Ordali
Summary: Set following DMC. What if Jack Sparrow had narrowly escaped death by the Kraken? With Jack alive, Will decides to embark on a long journey to save his father from Davy Jones. Who's to stay and who's to go? Spoilers for PoTC 1-2. T but ratings may change.


**Summary**: SPOILERS FOR POTC 1 and 2. What would happen if it was Jack, not Barbossa, who came down the stairs at the end of Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest? When Will decides he to go on a long and hard journey to rescue his father from Davy Jones, tensions build between Jack, Elizabeth, Will and the former crew of the Black Pearl about who's to go and who should remain behind.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the characters of Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney does. I merely put them together and attempt to form a story from what Disney has already done with them.

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Chapter 1

The Contract

"He was a good man…" Elizabeth muttered, raising the grimy mug that had been handed to her by Tia Dalma. She felt tears welling her eyes before they brimmed over the edge, spilling down her cheeks. She could feel Will's eyes on her as she spoke, casting her eyes down, she attempted to avoid his gaze.

As the others in the room brought their mugs to their mouths to drink, Elizabeth followed, only to feel her throat tighten before she clasped a hand over the top. Setting her jaw as an attempt to prevent the loud sob she held deep in her throat from coming out, Elizabeth looked at the same spot on the floor for what seemed like ages. She could still taste him in her mouth. The sweet taste of the rum that seemed permanently laced on his tongue and lips. The sweat, dirt and salty ocean water that was ever present on the Pearl. It was if it had happened only moments ago…

_Elizabeth had approached him, after he gave the orders to Gibbs to abandon the Pearl. Stalking slowly towards him as he fingered the steering wheel of the Pearl for the last time, she murmured lowly, _

"_Thank you Jack," a small smile creeping up onto her lips._

"_We're not free yet, love."_

_When he replied, his voice had stung her, it sounded so sad, worse than she had ever heard it. Although Jack had his serious moments, ones filled with emotion such as this were rare. _

_Moving closer to him, she attempted to clarify what she meant by adding, "You came back. I always knew you were a good man."_

_Their noses nearly touching, Elizabeth leaned forward and captured his mouth with hers. Although_ _he seemed to protest at first, Jack's lips parted, allowing her to deepen the kiss, moving her hands to his waist, pushing him gently and slowly towards the mast. She kept trying to tell herself that she wasn't going to go through with it, that at the last minute they would jump into the longboat and sail off as the Kraken devoured the Black Pearl. Yet, deep down, Elizabeth knew that she had to do this, that Jack coming back (his courageous act) wasn't enough. Her hands found the dark metal shackles, her nimble fingers moving quickly to lock them around his warm flesh._

_Jack ended the kiss abruptly, confusion and questioning filling his face as he felt the cold metal against his wrist. He didn't speak, or try to get away, he merely let her explain and hold him in her arms._

"_It's after you, not the ship. It's not us," Elizabeth started, her eyes opening, clenching her teeth so she wouldn't cry. She longed to weep and continue to kiss him, but found herself saying instead,_

"_This is the only way, don't you see?" as if the only solution involved Jack's life coming to a harsh end by the brutality of the sea creature. Elizabeth leaned forward, fighting away her gut instinct, her lips but inches from his, about to kiss him again, her eyes shutting before her mind awoke and sent a signal to her mouth,_

"_I'm not sorry," were the harsh words that came out. It broke her heart to have to say it. To leave Jack to die, after all they had been through. He had saved her life, Will had been the one to insist upon it, but Jack had been there. Jack had been marooned with her on that dreadful island. It was Captain Jack Sparrow. _

_Pulling away, she watched that grin of his creep up on his lips, his uneven and gold capped teeth showing as he growled,_

"_Pirate." _

_Before she could go against her actions, Elizabeth pulled herself away and into the longboat. The minute she had jumped in, everyone's eyes were on her, especially Will's._

"_Where's Jack?" his voice becoming sharp and stinging. _

_Elizabeth took in a sharp breath. Will had seen them. With those words, Elizabeth knew their relationship, if they were ever to speak again, would be tarnished. He would never trust her, even with Jack gone. _

"If there was anything could be done to bring him back…" were Will's words that jolted Elizabeth out of her gaze and thoughts, her eyes flying to meet his. His voice was so different than it had been in the longboat.

"Elizabeth…" he continued, his eyes filled with sorrow in a way that she had never seen them before. Before she could compose her thoughts and bring herself to reply, or perhaps spit back a cynical response (as she had done in the longboat), Tia's voice cut the silence,

"Would you do it?" she first asked, turning to Will, her eyes lighting up. Will looked at her quizzically before she turned her eyes and words on Elizabeth, "What...would you? Hmmm?"

_Would I?_ Elizabeth silently asked herself. At that moment, she cursed herself. With that question it was as if she was being presented with a contract, asked to sign on the dotted line. All she had to do was make the decision. A decision that could mean her downfall.

After seeing that neither Will nor Elizabeth was going to answer her she turned to the entire room, "What would _any_ of you be willing to do? Hmmm? Would you sail to the ends of the eart', and beyond, to fetch back witty Jack and 'im precious Pearl?"

Looking around, she knew the answer was easy for the members of the Pearl. Even for Will, who's skin had been saved by Jack a couple times in their adventures. But Elizabeth? Would she risk her life for the man whom she had only grown to know through gallivanting across the ocean? Would she take the risk and bear the consequences?

Before she knew it, Gibbs, Pintel, and Ragetti had all replied "Aye" and Tia was looking at Elizabeth for her response. This was it. She was being handed the pen. The other signatures were clear above her line, scrawled in blood, awaiting hers to sign the deal.

Feeling her lips form the word, before she knew it, Will had replied "Aye" and the deal was done. The contract had been signed.

Elizabeth Swann's life had been changed by one word. One three letter word could mean Jack's freedom. One word that could cause her entire world to crumble. William would hate her, but Jack would be free.

"Yes."


End file.
